Multiple crank driving mechanism



Nev. 22, 1938. w P. VALENTINE 2,137,552

' MULTIPLE CRANK DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 22, 1938.

W. P. VALENTINE MULTIPLECRYANK DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 22, 1938, w p v -n E 2,137,552

MULTIPLE CRANK DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 22, 1938. w. P. VALENTINE 2,137,552

MULTIPLE CRANK DRIVING MECHANISM 2 Filed Jan. 25, I957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,137,552. MULTIPLE CRANK DRIVING MECHANISM vania Application January 25, 193-7; Serial No}. 122; 094 4 ims- (01. 74- -5913) My invention relates to crank and crankshaft,

mechanism of varied utility, finding a useful place, for example, in the power driving of multicylinder pumps. 7

'One purpose of the invention is to reduce the size of the mechanism and therefore to reduce the weight and cost'by' utilizing bearing and gear members as mounts for crank pins. A further purpose is to build a composite crankshaft of alternating cranks (pins) and discs in which the cranks connect between gears orbetween gears and bearing discs, thus reducing the length of the composite crank and avoiding the necessity for taking up part of the crank length with separate bearing and gear elements. Driving can be effected at intermediate gear (disc) positions and outboard cranks may be used at the ends of the composite crank shaft to increase the number of pump units driven from the same crank shaft.

I have elected to show my invention in a plurality of different forms, all clustering about the same main thought but differing in the number of cranks and crank supporting discs provided and hence in the distribution ofthe load. The selections have been made from forms that are practical and efficient but which have been selected particularly because they well illustrate the principles involved.

Figure l is a top plan view of a horizontal multiple element power pump structure embodying one desirable form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure '1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the structure of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken upon line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 arelongitudinal sectional elevations of somewhat diiferent forms showing differing pluralities of cranks. Figure '7 is drawn to a reduced scale and omits the driving gear and its shaft.

In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In the multiple cylinder power driven pumps as they are now constructed, the crank pins or crank form connections between separate discs which carry the cranks but do not perform other functions; with the result that the composite crankshaft thus built up is lengthened to provide room for suitable bearings and for a driven gear engaged by the driving gear for the power driven unit. Tlie' additional length of the crankshaft,-increases 'distortion due to torque and unnecessarilyincreases the spacing of the pump cylinders. The Weight of the connecting parts as: wellas'thaw'eight of the journal elements and of'the gear gre'atly increases the cost.

By my invention I avoid the necessity for the use ofseparat'e 'geara'nd journal elements, drive at an intermediate point in'the length of the composite shaft, secure a desirably decreased stress in "the journal bearings and'greatly increased rigidity. I

The invention is capable of application to horizontal or vertical units in great variety as to the number of cranks and cylinders but finds application t'ofso great advantage in a quintuplet pump that this form is more fully illustrated than are other forms.

The five horizontal pump cylinders shown in Figures 1 and2 at H], H, l2, l3 and l4 ar'e'connected 'to s'uitable inlet fluid supply and outlet valve structure which is not novel and which is not shown in detail but is intended to be illustrated broadly as located within the casing l having any suitable suction and discharge connections l6 and I1. I 4

'Tie bolts l8, l8 and l9, l9 connect casing l5 with lugs 20, 20, 21, 2| of two pillow blocks 22 whose yokeends 23, 24v are held together by bolts 25 and26 andnuts 21. The crank shaft 28.-is made up of a plurality of crank discs 29, 29 ,30, 30, and pins of which four discs and fivepins are seen in the quintuplet form of Figuresi-l-ln Two of the discs, 29, 29' are there shown as acting as journal shafts, Within-caps 3L 3| heldin place by bolts 32, 33 so placed as notto' interfere with passage of bolts 25 and 26. I r

The other two discs30, 30' arev used also as gears whose teeth 34, 35' are engaged by the teeth 36, 3'lof gears 38 and 39 upon a shaft 40 which-acts as a driver to the crank shaft as a driven shaft; The'shaft 4|] is supported in any suitablebearingsfiland. U h

Outboard" crank'pins 43' and 44 are mounted in the outer faces of discs 29 and 29.

The discs (journals) 29 and 29 are connected to the discs (gears) 30 and 30 respectively by inbound crank pins 45 and 46 and the two driven discs (gears) 30 and 30' are connected by crank pin 41.

The crank pins are surrounded by the usual straps 48 connected by rods 49 with cross head pins 50 carried by cross heads 5i sliding on guides 52, to which cross heads the pump plunger rods 53 are secured.

The crank pins are properly distributed about the shaft axis, in proper order for reciprocation of the rods 53 in their respective cylinders 54, the angular spacing of crank pins anchored in the same discs being such as to provide proper room for each pin within the disc.

It will be noted that the combined discs and gears are balanced with respect to the rest of the structure and are spaced in opposite directions from the center of the shaft, reducing the torque displacement to a minimum and embracing one of the cranks between the gears.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 have been added not only to show the structure contained in the figures themselves but in order that the suitability of my invention to vertical pump construction may be evidenced by these vertical figures and to show application of the invention to structures having different pluralities of cranks.

A part of the operating structure is enclosed within casing 55 comprising oppositely facing plates or sheets held together by bolts 56. Additional driving gearing is shown in Figures 5 and 6 in shaft 51 and pinion 58 driven from any suit-' able source.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 the various cranks and discs have been given members corresponding generally with those parts Figures 3 and 4 which are similarly placed and which there function similarly.

Where the total number of pumping cylinders is reduced to four as in Figure 5 a single central driven combined gear and crank disc 30 may be used with distribution of driving stresses-except for the crank and disc omitted-substantially the same as that in Figures 1-4.

The crank pins 43, 44, 45 and 46 are shown, two of which are outboard and two -of which lie between bearing discs 29, 29' and the central gear disc.

Where the number of pumping cylinders is increased to six, for example, two crank pins 45, 46' connect between gear discs 30, 3| and an additional disc 29 located between the driven gears of Figures 1-4. This driven disc may be a combined journal and crank carrying disc as in Figure 6 if desired or the bearing feature may be omitted, if preferred, from it in view of its position not only inboard, i. e., between two bearings but between two-driven gears.

Additional disc 29 may thus be used for its crank carrying purpose only or, if desirability of stiffening the structure be sufficient to justify, as a journal part corresponding to the bearing members 29 and 29' in Figures 1-4;.

In Figure 7 two additional discs 29 appear which, like disc 29 in Figure 6 may have bearing function also if desired.

Pump fiow conditions are better where an odd number of cylinders appears, as in the five. and the seven, than where an even number of cylinders is used, as in thefour and the six.

It will be evident that I secure a minimum of weight with a maximum of resistance against torsional and bending stresses separately combined, and that in a well balanced structure, whether horizontal or vertical, a considerable variation in the number of pumping cylinders may be taken care of without losing the benefit of the balance which the quintuplet offers in Figures 1 to 4.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others-skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A multiple unit pump comprising a plurality I of pump units including connecting rods, a corresponding plurality of straps connected therewith, crank pins about which the straps are placed and crank discs of two types, the one type forming each the internal member of a bearing and the other type a gear, within which discs the crank pins are mounted, two of the crank pins being outboard crank pins and the others lying between discs and being mounted in each of two crank discs, two of the crank discs forming the internal elements of bearings by which the crank shaft is supported and one of the crank discs comprising a driven gear by which the crank shaft is rotated.

2. A multiple fluid pump including a plurality of crank discs, crank pins connecting the crank discs and outboard crank pins extending from the end crank discs, the end crank discs forming the internal elements of bearings for the crank shaft and an intermediate crank disc forming a driven gear by which the crank shaft is rotated and pump connections from the respective crank pins.

3. A drive unit for a multi-element pump or the like comprising a number of coaxial longitudinally spaced discs one less than the number of elements to be driven and crank pins respectively to drive the elements, each disc at angularly spaced points of opposite sides receiving and supporting one end each of two pins, the end discs comprising journals of the unit, and two intermediate discs comprising driven gears, bearings for the journals and drive gears for the driven gears.

4. In a multiple drive unit, two discs comprising driven gears, a crank pin connecting the discs, a pair of crank pins extending one from each of said driven gear crank discs in directions each away from the other gear, a pair of bearing discs in which the last named crank pins are respectively supported, external bearing members for said bearing discs, outboard crank pins projecting in opposite directions from said bearing discs and pump connections for the respective crank plnS.

, WARREN P. VALENTINE. 

